Help Rashes!

As I lose weight I'm getting rashes.I have one under each breast,one on my "behind" and one on each leg wear my underware goes around my legs.I have tried Gold Bond powder and lotion plus 3 different prescriptions still to NO avail.I take 3/4 showers a day to clean dry and re-apply meds and it doesn't help.Oh and I have used diaper rash med.also. [I sweat like a race horse ] Nothing seems to help.Is there anyone with suggestions?

That's a wonderful avatar picture by the way! And have you really lost 59 lbs since January? Or was your high weight from an earlier time? Either way it's a fantastic job!

Off the top of my head, I can think of two other possible causes, and you may have already ruled these out. But here goes....

First, it might be friction rather than infection, and especially if you're not getting enough essential fatty acids, or Vitamin D, or...? (Not being trained in this area, I don't know other specific nutrients, but dieting -especially rapid dieting- can certainly wipe out the whole gamut!)

Second, have you ever reacted allergically to anything before? Maybe something new, or something you're eating more often in your diet, might be triggering an allergic response. You might see a pattern where the rash fluctuates, this could be a clue, too.

I think we've all had strange reactions to diets at one time or another - often it takes lots of detective work, and sometimes we have to abandon an otherwise really effective diet, depending on what the effect on our overall health is. I hope you can find the cause soon; rashes are really irritating and embarassing, and who wants to live with that? Dieting is hard enough! And you look so much like you take it all in stride - kudos, and congratulations so far!

Ok, you are sooooo going to laugh at me. I totally know about the rashes under the breasts. I get them all the time when I work out. They are yeast infections!!! Can you believe it? I know. Ew! I got them when I was in my 20's and I used to put rubbing alcohol on it (OW!) until I complained to a nurse friend of mine. She told me to get some foot fungus spray and that should clear it up. It totally worked.

Ok, you are sooooo going to laugh at me. I totally know about the rashes under the breasts. I get them all the time when I work out. They are yeast infections!!! Can you believe it? I know. Ew! I got them when I was in my 20's and I used to put rubbing alcohol on it (OW!) until I complained to a nurse friend of mine. She told me to get some foot fungus spray and that should clear it up. It totally worked.

Yep! Yeast infections...and sweating seems to make mine flare up even more. I get a cream from my doctor, however, Jessica's recommendation to use the foot fungus spray sounds like a great idea.

I second this...though I've never had it I have read about it several times and confirmed that the articles weren't a big joke with my mom the former nurse.
A major culprit of this is leaving on your workout clothes for extended periods of time post workout....especially if you are a heavy sweater....its sort of the same way hanging around in a wet bathing suit can cause this. I make it a point to change at the gym right when I'm done working out just because I've read about this happening before...think about it...when you sweat while working out your undergarments are left damp in exactly the places where you are describing the irritation...bacteria (yeast) thrives in warm, dark, damp places...it makes sense.

Also you said you were showering 3-4 times a day, I don't know but if I were showering that much I know my skin would get super dried out! Over washing can dry out the natural oils and what not in your skin which I assume could ultimately make it worse. I have also heard of the foot fungus spray for under the breasts but I would definitely check with a doctor before using anything like that below the belt if you know what I mean

Thanks, IlerJo! You're right those glamour shots are really worth it, huh? Maybe I'll think about rewarding myself after a year of maintenance at goal with a set of those!

I've also had yeast infections where skin sits against skin, and usually when I got prescriptions, that was exactly what it was for. I've also overdried my skin and got friction rashes, where seams rub or loose clothing rubs (like on the butt after weight loss), and the prescriptions for yeast didn't do anything for those. Sorry if I made any such assumption before posting! And I hope you get some working answers from the other great posts, too.

In my own experience with yeast infections up top - I found changing bras 2 or 3 times per day helped. Also applying some eau de toilet thinly over the unbroken skin sorta kept it in check, while feeling like getting nicely dressed. I still do that today, when a little scent is appropriate; haven't had a problem for years, now. Good luck everybody!